Walking to the Rose and Crown
by lilkawa
Summary: "May I see you back to the village?" he asked her.  Elizabeth smiled fully intending to say no, in fact she was sure she'd said no until she heard her voice say yes. He was going to see her back to the village.


_Pride and Prejudice_ doesn't belong to me

Based on the 2005 film, the language may not be Regency style, but I hope that it makes sense and that you'll enjoy it.

**Walking to the Rose and Crown**

Darcy and Georgiana were hugging when they heard a noise behind them and they turned. Darcy couldn't believe it, surely he must be dreaming. Elizabeth Bennet, his Elizabeth was here at Pemberley.

She ran out of the house and he followed her.

"Miss Elizabeth." He called to her and she stopped and turned.

She was touring the area with her aunt and uncle and they had thought that the family was in London. Darcy couldn't believe it. She was here; he dreamt about her being here with him, so many times in so many ways. Now she was here finally.

"Tomorrow, we go to Matlock." She said.

'What? Tomorrow? No, they couldn't be leaving so soon, not when he'd just found out that they were in the area. Elizabeth had yet to meet Georgiana, to explore Pemberley properly; they hadn't even shared a meal. She couldn't go yet.'

"Are you staying at Lambton?" he asked.

"Yes, at the Rose and Crown."

"Yes." He nodded, that was the most decent place in the neighbourhood. It was quite a walk from Pemberley but he knew Elizabeth loved to walk. Maybe this was his chance to show her he wasn't the same man who had proposed to her.

Elizabeth still looked uncomfortable; "Sorry to intrude," she said. "They said that house was open for visitors. I had no idea - ."

He stood his head. Suddenly the idea of opening the house to visitors was one of the best he'd ever heard. Bless that tradition, it had brought Elizabeth to his house.

"May I see you back to the village?" he asked her.

Elizabeth smiled fully intending to say no, in fact she was sure she'd said no until she heard her voice say yes. He was going to see her back to the village.

000

It was strange walking and talking with Mr. Darcy. At first Elizabeth had felt very awkward but with each step she felt more and more comfortable. Mr. Darcy was very knowledgeable about his land and he shared his plans for the area with her. In addition to that, when they'd met some of his tenants he'd known their names and even asked about their families. This was a side of Darcy she had never thought he had, let alone, that she'd ever see it.

He took her to his favourite tree. It was a big oak tree by the water; "Whenever I felt that the world was dealing with me unfairly; usually because of some obligation I had to fulfill I would run to this tree and sit and think. It was also the place where I rested when father taught me how to swim and fish, where I would sit and make plans for the future. I still come here sometimes to think about my future and to make plans, although not as often as I'd like."

Darcy smiled and Elizabeth looked at him mesmerized, wondering why he didn't smile more often or maybe all the time. His smile was like the sun coming out from behind a cloud, slowly at first and then filling the sky with its brilliance. Elizabeth was lost and she admitted to herself that if he'd smiled at her when he'd proposed she might have been tempted to say yes.

He held out his hand to her; she looked at it remembering how it had felt the last time their hands had touched; she had never felt that sensation before and not since, she could already feel the heat, the -

"Miss Elizabeth?"

She roused herself and saw that he was still holding out his hand to her. She extended her hand and he helped her sit. They sat quietly and looked out at the water.

"Pemberley is a very beautiful place." Elizabeth told him at length. "If it were mine, I don't think I could ever bear to leave it."

"Somehow I doubt that." Darcy replied. "You, with your sense of adventure, staying in one place forever?"

Elizabeth thought about it, impressed at how well he knew her, and smiled, "you're right. I would leave it knowing it would be waiting for me when I returned."

Darcy looked at her, she seemed so at home, she was happy, alive and smiling at him. Suddenly Darcy couldn't help himself, he would chance it again. He'd thought of little else since the first time he'd proposed and now seeing her, being with her, he thought he stood as good a chance as he ever had, if she refused him this time, he would forget her and move on.

He was good at cutting people out of his life, he knew cutting out her would wound him deeply but he would not force himself on her. At least he hoped that he wouldn't.

"Elizabeth Bennet, will you marry me?"

Darcy couldn't believe he'd asked her to marry him again so soon, he'd thought about it a lot but he was supposed to have built up to it slowly, given her time to get to know him better, to like him. 'Maybe I didn't say it out loud,' he consoled himself.

He looked at Elizabeth, she was looking at him wonderingly, and he knew he must have asked her out loud.

"What? I mean I'm sorry. Did you just say what I thought you said?"

"Yes." He steeled himself for her refusal.

"You still want to marry me?" she asked him.

"That didn't come out right." Elizabeth waited for him to take it back, to remember why he couldn't marry her.

"Elizabeth Bennet, ever since I met you, you have invaded my dreams and my waking thoughts. I think about you all the time, the way your eyes always have a twinkle, the way you laugh," he stopped and laughed softly, "I could go on all day." He swallowed, "you have captured me totally." He took a breath and looked at her; her expression hadn't changed, 'in for a penny in for a pound.' He couldn't stop now, he may well as finish it.

"I love you Elizabeth Bennet, I love you, I love you," he swallowed, "how I love you."

Elizabeth looked at Darcy; she couldn't believe that he was proposing to her again, saying he loved her with such depth of feeling. She thought she'd lost him forever, but here he was he still wanted to marry her. She knew that she should say something but she was too thrilled to say anything, she just stared at him.

Darcy watched her face for a sign, anything to give him a clue as to her answer but he couldn't read it. He looked out at the water feeling the full weight of her rejection of him.

Elizabeth turned and kissed Darcy; she knew it wasn't the proper thing to do but he had just declared his love for her.

Darcy couldn't believe Elizabeth was kissing him. He kissed her back.

They stayed like that for a while and then Darcy asked her, "so, is that a yes?"

_end_


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